Object

Oriented
Programming
Using

C ++
Data Conversion/Type Casting

Abdul Wahab
Lecturer
University of Science and Technology Bannu
abdul_bu@yahoo.com
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 Type Casting

 Converting one data type into another data type is called ‘Type Casting’
or ‘Data Conversion’

 We have the following types of Data Conversion

1. Conversion from Basic data type to Basic data type

2. Conversion from Basic data type to User-defined data type ( class type)
3. Conversion from Class type to basic data type
4. Conversion from one Class type to another class type

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 1. Conversion from Basic to Basic data type

 Implicit data conversion

conversion by the compiler

 Explicit data conversion

conversion by the user

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 Example:
Implicit Data Conversion Explicit Data Conversion

void main() void main()

{ {
clrscr(); clrscr();

int x=3 ; int x = 66 ;

char z;
char y='A'; char y = 'A';

z = x + y; cout<< char(x) <<endl;

cout<<z; cout<< int(y)
} }

Ouput Ouput

D B
65

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 2. Conversion from Basic data type to User-defined data type

 The conversion from basic to class type is easily carried out.

 It is automatically done by the compiler with the help of in-built routines or

by applying typecasting.

 In this type the left-hand operand of = sign is always class type and right-
hand operand is always basic type.

 The program given below explains the conversion from basic to class
type.

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 Example:
class data
{
int x; void main()
float f; {
public : clrscr();

data()
data Z;
{ x=0; f=0; }
Z=1;
data(float m) Z.show();
{
x=2; Z=5.6;
f=m;
Z.show();
}
}
void show()
{
cout<<"\nX= "<<x<<" F="<<f;
}
};

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Output

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 3. Conversion from Class type to basic data type

 In this type of conversion, the programmer explicitly needs to tell the

compiler how to perform conversion from class to basic type.

 These instructions are written in a member function. Such type of

conversion is also known as overloading of type cast operators.

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 3. Conversion from Class type to basic data type

 The compiler first searches for the operator keyword followed by data
type and if it is not defined, it applies the conversion functions.

 In this type, the left-hand operand is always of basic data type and right-
hand operand is always of class type. While carrying this
conversion, the statement should satisfy the following conditions:
– The conversion function should not have any argument.
– Do not mention return type.
– It should be a class member function.

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 Example:
class data void main()
{
{
int x;
float f; clrscr();
int j;
public : float k;
data() data Z;
{ x=0; f=0;}
Z=6.6;
data(float m)
{ x=2; f=m; } j=Z;
k=Z;
operator int() cout<<"\n Value of j: "<<j;
{ return (x); }
cout<<"\n Value of k: "<<k;
operator float() }
{ return (f); }

};

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Output

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4. Conversion from one Class type to another Class type

 When an object of one class is assigned to object of another class, it is

necessary to give clear-cut instructions to the compiler.

 Consider the following example:

X = A;
 Here X is an object of class XYZ and A is an object of class ABC. The
class ABC data type is converted to class XYZ.

 The conversion happens from class ABC to XYZ. The ABC is a source
class and XYZ is a destination class.

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4. Conversion from one Class type to another Class type

 We know the operator function operator data-type(). Here, data type may
be built-in data type or user-defined data type.

 In the above declaration, the data-type indicates target type of object.

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 Example:
class hours
class minutes
{
{
int m; float h;
public : public:
minutes() void operator = (minutes x)
{ { h = x.get() / 60.0; }
m=240;
void show ()
}
{ cout<< "\n Hours = "<<h; }
get() };
{ void main()
return (m); {
}
clrscr();
void show() minutes m;
{ hours h;
cout <<"\n Minutes = "<<m; h = m;
} m.show(); h.show();
};
}

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Output

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Have a Good Day!